Tag Archives: new experiences

Over the past year or so, I’ve realized how important money is. I don’t mean that in the superficial “money buys happiness and being rich is all that matters” kind of way. I mean that having money is truly the only way to survive. Money buys food, shelter, clothes, and education. Without those four necessary things, we as humans can’t survive. However, despite the basic needs for survival, money also buys things that differentiate surviving from living. Anyone can survive, but not everyone truly lives.

Money can’t buy happiness, that I agree with. However, money can help. I consider living to be defined as experiencing new things, enjoying what life has to offer, and doing these things with people you love. Money can purchase concert tickets, amusement park tickets, gas for road trips, plane tickets that allow you to explore the world. Without money, you’re left with what your hometown has to offer, the same movie theaters and outlet malls that you’ve been accustomed to your entire life. I wouldn’t consider continuing to go to those places as experiencing or learning new things. Although money can encourage living, you have to work hard and save up to be able to experience what the world has to offer.

Money jars are pretty self explanatory. I’m sure you’ve seen them on tumblr, pinterest, and maybe even instagram. Money jars are jars that contain money that you’ve saved up. When you receive your paycheck or whatever type of money you receive from working, you can take a fraction of your earnings and place it into the jar. I’m choosing to put 20 dollars every month into the jar. By doing this, eventually, you’ll have enough money saved up to be able to travel, to buy tickets to wherever or whomever you want to see. This method allows you to continue to pay rent, buy food, or other responsibilities you might have to survive, while also saving up so you can live. Because what is surviving without living?

By having a physical object to look at, containing money that you have worked hard for, it allows you to see the bigger picture, to see why you work those long hours, working yourself to the bone. It gives you a reminder of why you work and do the things you do. Money jars are a physical reminder of the fun experiences the life has in store for you. It reminds you to never give up because living is more important than simply surviving.

When traveling to new places, it’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be unsure, nervous, and even doubtful that you’re going to have a good time. All of those feelings are perfectly normal.

What you can’t do is let it get in the way of experiencing new places, new people, new things. When it becomes an obstacle that blocks your view of your future, that’s when you need to see the bigger picture, see what’s really important, and see all the advantages you can gain from letting go and letting yourself experience life.

“You can’t make decisions based on fear or self-doubt.”

Going to New York City for a student media conference has changed my view on the world completely. Before traveling to NYC, I was pretty scared of new environments and general changes to my daily routine.

I was afraid of the different people, people grew up struggling, who are homeless or are trying to sell me things. I was nervous to go out on my own and to experience things that I wasn’t sure I was ready for. However, when I arrived in NYC, I wasn’t scared. I was excited and ready for what the city had in store for me. I realized that my fears were unjustified and unnecessary, just thoughts I put into my head to sike myself out, to tell myself that I won’t enjoy myself so that I don’t get my hopes up only to be let down.

I discovered that my own thoughts and ideas were getting in my way of enjoying new experiences, of appreciating what it meant to expand my horizons and see what it’s like to live on my own, somewhat.

If I had been afraid of coming to NYC, so much so that I decided to stay home, I would have deeply regretted by choice. You can’t make decisions based on fear or self-doubt, that’s no way to live your life. When making decisions in life, the only factors that should be involved are “will this experience benefit me in any way at all,” “will I learn great lessons from this experience,” and “will I regret not going through this experience.”

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you have to do it. Fear might be a feeling that you have before making decision but that feeling doesn’t always mean it’s a bad choice. Follow your gut and never let fear guide you.

Black Coffee

Black Coffee is a joint media project created and produced by Whim and Radford on Camera. Black Coffee takes the talents of Radford’s musically gifted and provides them with an outlet to play for the community by means of student-run, student-produced media.